Alcohol's hidden impact on health in Scotland - Our blog

The Alcohol Consumption and Harms dashboard provides a detailed picture across all alcohol-related harms and the impact that they have on Scotland’s health.

In this blog, Craig Collins, Service Manager, Health Harms Intelligence, explores the latest data on partially attributable alcohol admissions and deaths, and explains why understanding these wider harms is important for reducing inequalities and improving health outcomes.

Alcohol continues to have a significant and preventable impact on Scotland's health. Deaths remain at the highest rate of the UK nations and harms remain persistently high, with those living in the most deprived communities affected the most. When we think about alcohol-related harm, many of us think of conditions that are directly caused by alcohol consumption, or wholly attributable, such as alcoholic liver disease. Yet these conditions represent only part of the picture.

Looking beyond the conditions directly caused by alcohol

Alcohol contributes to a wide range of health problems such as increasing the risk of cancers, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Partially attributable harms are conditions where alcohol is one of several contributing risk factors. For example, while breast cancer may not always be immediately associated with alcohol use, it increases risk alongside other factors such as family history, smoking and weight. Reducing alcohol consumption is a way of decreasing the risk of and preventing breast cancer.

By estimating the contribution alcohol makes to a wide range of health conditions, we can gain a more complete understanding of alcohol's impact across Scotland. The partially attributable estimates available from the Alcohol Consumption and Harms dashboard are calculated using the most up-to-date information on population drinking patterns and alcohol consumption levels. Associated health risks factors taken from a robust international evidence base of clinical studies are also used.

What do the latest figures show?

New figures just released on the dashboard for 2024 show that:

the estimated rate of partially attributable alcohol hospital admissions (among people aged 16 and over) was 424 per 100,000 population, unchanged from 2023
the estimated rate of partially attributable alcohol deaths was 33 per 100,000 population, a 12% decrease compared with 2023

While this reduction is positive, the data also shows us that the impact of alcohol-related harm is significantly greater in the most deprived areas of Scotland.

The estimated rate of partially attributable alcohol deaths in the most deprived areas was 51 per 100,000 population in 2024, almost three times higher than the rate in the least deprived areas.

These inequalities reflect long-standing differences in health outcomes and show that alcohol harm is not shared equally across society.

Understanding the bigger picture

The dashboard allows us to bring together conditions that are wholly attributable to alcohol with those that are partially attributable, providing a fuller picture of alcohol's overall impact.

Looking at both the direct and indirect harms helps us better understand the true scale of the challenge and the continuing impact on individuals, families, communities and health services.

The data also reinforces the importance of monitoring trends over time. We can see progress has been made, like the introduction of Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) which has contributed to saving lives and slowing the increase in alcohol-specific deaths. Even so, alcohol continues to contribute to avoidable illness, premature death and health inequalities across the country.

Supporting action to reduce alcohol harm

Reducing alcohol harm requires sustained action across a range of areas, from prevention and treatment services to wider policies that influence the social, economic and environmental factors affecting health. Reliable, timely public health intelligence plays a vital role in supporting these actions and our Alcohol Harms and Consumption dashboard provides important evidence to help inform policy, services and prevention activity across Scotland.

By understanding both the direct and indirect consequences of alcohol consumption, we can better target efforts to improve health and reduce inequalities.

We will continue to work with the Scottish Government, NHS boards, Alcohol and Drug Partnerships and third sector organisations to support evidence-based approaches that reduce harm, improve access to treatment and support services, reduce health inequalities and improve health outcomes.

Find out more on our website:

Read our Alcohol Harms Policy Briefing.